Two petty crooks work an ingenious scam in a policeman’s last days on the Force before retirement. This award-winning amateur comedy is a Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA) production. The home scenes were filmed in the home of the director, George Henderson at Moor Crescent, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. Credit: This film has been awarded a Silver Plaque as one of the Amateur Cine World Ten Best Films of 1952 Credit: Scottish Amateur Film Festival 1953...

Two petty crooks work an ingenious scam in a policeman’s last days on the Force before retirement. This award-winning amateur comedy is a Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA) production. The home scenes were filmed in the home of the director, George Henderson at Moor Crescent, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. Credit: This film has been awarded a Silver Plaque as one of the Amateur Cine World Ten Best Films of 1952 Credit: Scottish Amateur Film Festival 1953 Commended Dolly shot in to PC Grubb as he stands in the middle of a suburban street directing traffic. He turns suddenly and holds up his hand to stop traffic heading his way. He takes out his police notebook. Title: P.C. Grubb’s Last Case [written on notebook paper] Credit: Presented by George Henderson Junior and George Cummin (representing the Newcastle & District A.C.A.) Credit: From evidence compiled by Reg. Hall Jimmy Mundy Pat Henderson Hal Brearley Credit: Acting for A.C.A. George Henderson Robert Norman Geoffrey Henderson Tom Atkinson Florence Richardson Stan Preston David McGregor Eleanor Henderson Alan Wilson Tommy Thompson Gwen Norman David Henderson Geoffrey Richardson Don Pritchard And the general public A woman sits in an armchair reading the newspaper. She leans over to her policeman husband at the breakfast table and points out a news item about a policeman retiring that reads: “Seaton Harbour won’t be the same when P.C. Grubb retires on Friday. His sense of duty, responsibility and unerring judgement of character have made him liked and respected by all. So said Mr. Henderson last night when, at a meeting to mark the occasion, Mr Grubb was presented with a handsome clock.” P.C. Grubb reads the article. He looks over at his gift, an electric clock, unplugged. He hands the newspaper back to his wife and continues to read his gardening magazine, propped open on the table. His wife reminds him he hasn’t retired yet. Title: “But you’re not retired yet you know and you won’t want to be late on your last two days.” He checks the old clock on the mantelpiece, puts on his helmet, takes a last look at the gardening magazine, pops it back in his pocket and leaves. His wife begins to clear up after breakfast. In the next scene, P.C. Grubb walks along a quayside (of the fictional Seaton Harbour), where fishing boats are moored. He chats to a man on board a boat, then heads away. He walks by the Harbour Inn, a little boy following on behind. The proprietor of R. C. McInness Stationers and Booksellers steps out of his shop. P.C. Grubb waves and crosses the road to meet him. Title: “Last two days George – and Seaton’s never given you a really big case – gangsters or a juicy murder –“ He points out the lurid cover of the new ‘Detective” magazine in the window display, a knife wielded at a terrified woman. P.C. Grubb shakes his head. Title: “Oh, I’m all for a quiet life with a garden and plenty of grub.” The book seller pats P. C. Grubb’s stomach in a jokey manner, and the policeman continues on his round past a row of shops, turning briefly to check a church clock, the time 11 o’clock. He continues on his way, pausing to look at a window display of cakes and buns, a sign to the café on the street corner. A man in a trilby and raincoat runs past the Harbour Inn. He looks around, and seeing P. C. Grubb head to the café, runs after him. Title: “Quick – at the harbour – fellow with a KNIFE” The lurid Detective magazine cover flashes through the policeman’s mind. He accompanies the man down to the harbour, where a couple of loitering teenage lads watch him pass. They hurry up the quayside, grassed over tracks leading to an old yard, where the man in a raincoat points to a young man seated on a bench. He turns suddenly. Close-up of a gleaming hunting knife in his hand. The man in a raincoat points to the bench where the man with a knife has started carving the initials J. M in the wood, and demands he be arrested. Title: “A flagrant case. I insist that you charge him with damaging public property” P. C. Grubb takes the knife from the young delinquent and pockets it. He looks in his pocket and finds the gardening magazine. He puts it back and pulls out his police notebook, recording the accuser’s name as “H. Parker, 47 Oak Street, Esham” and the accused as “Mildmay, Jeff of no fixed abode”. There are staithes in the background on the river front. The young man accompanies the policeman and accuser from the quayside. P. C. Grubbs and the man making the complaint take the young hooligan to a police station, a gas lamp over the entrance. Inside, he is presented to the sergeant on duty, who fills out a report. The sergeant quizzes the young man. Title: “Do you wish to make a statement to that effect” The young man goes off to make a statement, whilst P.C. Grubb and the complainant knock on the door of Mr T. Atkinson, Clerk to the Council. The complainant claims a reward from the Clerk to the Council. Title: “I wish to claim the £5 reward for reporting damage to public property” He makes his case for the reward. Back at the quayside bench, a close-up follows of a sign offering a £5 reward for information on the damage of public property. Back at the Clerk’s office, they continue to discuss the reward issue. Title: “No, he’s not convicted but he’s admitted his guilt to the police” P. C. Grubb admits this is true. The Clerk consults his legal books, offering P. C. Grubb one to start looking through. The complainant sits down and twizzles his hat in frustration. Meanwhile, the sergeant gives the young accused man a statement to read. Back in the Clerk’s office, the complainant is still waiting, as the Clerk’s desk fills with the law books he and P. C. Grubb are consulting. An assistant enters carrying another huge pile of books up to his chin, and is shooed out. The complainant is called over to the desk and is finally handed a form agreeing to the payment of the £5 reward. Now in a court of law, P. C. Grubb gives his evidence to the judges. The young man is in the witness stand. The court listens to the policeman’s evidence. He points to the knife. The judge is handed the knife to examine. The bench examines the exhibit, his male colleague on the bench particularly interested in the knife. P. C. Grubb steps down from the stand. The judge speaks to the accused, pounding on the bench, the court stenographer scribbling away (but actually just doodling a 10 shillings’ figure on his transcript). P. C. Grubb reads his gardening manual. On and on, the judge continues to lecture the young man, pounding his bench. The court stenographer stifles a yawn. Title: “Since you’ve expressed regret we will only fine you ten shillings but remember – it’s very wrong to damage public property” Guiltily, the judge’s male colleague moves his hand away from his wooden seat arm to reveal he has carved an initial in the wood. The convicted man pulls out a few coppers from his pockets, to show that he doesn’t have enough money to pay the fine. Title: “I was expecting some money from Bristol but it hasn’t come – Mother must be ill again” The judge consults with the other man on the bench, and addresses the young accused. Title: “Mr McGregor has kindly offered to pay the fine. You may go now but don’t forget what I said” The convicted man leaves the court and the judge commends P. C. Grubb. Title: “A well presented case. Sorry you’re retiring, the Force needs men of judgement like you” The court is adjourned, and P. C. Grubb heads off. Back at the harbour quayside next day, P. C. Grubb is walking his old beat. Two women with a pram walk past the Harbour Inn as P. C. Grubb heads on up the street, glancing back at the church clock. The time is now 4 o’ clock. He looks at his watch, glances at the cafe window display. A woman outside the Harbour Inn shouts out. P. C. Grubb pauses, but the woman is only calling her son. Relieved, P. C. Grubb finally makes it to the café. Inside the café, a waitress sits down with the policeman, and they share tea and toast. Title: “Hallo Mr Grubb. Didn’t see you yesterday.” The policeman tells her about his arrest, whilst she pours him more tea. Title: “Ah they can’t fool you Mr Grubb – that boy won’t go cutting up seats again in a hurry –“ They chat. She goes out to talk to another customer. It’s the man who made the complaint against the young man with the knife. P. C. Grubb sees him in the other café room, shakes his head and puts his helmet back on. The waitress clears up the table and says goodbye to the policeman. In the other room, the man is waving money around. He’s sharing a table with the young hooligan who damaged the bench. The young man is counting out some of the notes and then pockets them. It’s clear that P. C. Grubb and the court have been the unwitting victims of their con. Title: “This swindle of mine never misses. How about Culmouth next?” The two head off down the street past an old Boots store and Leathards grocers. At the corner, the con men pass P. C. Grubb, who is again reading his gardening magazine, and fails to see them together. The two men go into the railway station. P.C. Grubb continues on his beat along a tree-lined street (actually in Jesmond, Newcastle) blissfully ignorant of the swindle. Title: Case Concluded